The adventuring team was the one group who looked the most like they wanted to leave. They had been hired to bring the group through Gram’s Passage. That job was done. There was no reason that they couldn’t return immediately. However, they were still part of the adventuring guild, and if it got out that they had just taken off running as soon as things got tough, wouldn’t they become laughing stocks that lost all respect?

In the end, they waited with us. As for the old dwarf, he mostly just seemed curious and too old to be running around. Plus, as the only lone person among the group, he had to go where the group went. If he tried to return through Gram’s Passage alone, he was experienced enough to know his chances of making it to the other side were slim.

Ten minutes later we could hear the sounds of an approaching group. When they broke through the forest line and came into sight, they were nearly upon us. We didn’t just wait for them to come. We left the village and returned to the dungeon entrance, and then we had moved into a defensive position where we had the opportunity to escape back through the dungeon if things went south.  The group that appeared in front of us were all soldiers.

They were dressed in a manner I had only seen once before, in the memory from Matty’s dungeon. They were also riding wild cats. They weren’t like the giant cat I had once tamed. Instead, they had green and brown coats that blended in with the forest well and thick legs and broad shoulders. It also had long teeth like a sabertooth tiger, although it also had many elements that resembled dogs, such as a long snout. Out of a curiosity, I used my skill on one of the creatures. It was called a crag cat.

The men made a half-circle around us, but we answered with a similar protective circle, our weapons drawn. I was particularly mindful of some kind of soul attack. If they were testing some kind of weapon, and we had walked in on it, they’d want to kill us to remove all evidence, right?

Pait, despite being the shortest one there besides Dav, took a step forward. “I am a representative of Esmore. I come on a diplomatic mission. I have permission to be here. We’ve also brought a gift to the Dioshin people.”

He immediately held out the papers of the invite. Although they were a bit old, they were likely invaluable to the situation.

A leader seemed to come out in front. He appeared to have the features of a wolf, like Raissa, although where she was a white wolf, his hair was black. His eyes had a distinctly predatory gaze to him as he looked over the group of us.

“You are to come with me.” He stated in an authoritarian voice.

Pait frowned, not giving an inch. “Where do you wish to take us? The adventurers and dwarf have already completed their journey. After a brief rest, they would like to return. As for me, I’ve come with only two servants.”

I had to give him credit for being able to keep his cool as he gestured to me and Dav, while still being looked down on like he might be a meal.

“Leaving is no longer possible. You will be taken to the castle of Lord Duran. He will be the one receiving you.”

Pait was officially the leader of the expedition, so all eyes were on him. On the one hand, going to see the lord was exactly what Pait wanted. On the other hand, they were not being given any choice in the matter. Whether he chose to leave or not didn’t affect me much. Now that I was in Dioshin, if their disguise no longer worked, then I would simply portal back in tonight with a new disguise, perhaps once that resembled an animalkin. If he tried to leave, things would get violent though.

“Very well.” Pait finally agreed.